Many expensive items that are stocked by stores encounter a problem referred to as “sweeping”. In other words, a thief enters a store and takes multiple items off a shelf, or “sweeps” the shelf, and runs out the store. The quicker the thief can take multiple items, the less likely the thief will be caught and more items can be stolen.
There have been many systems developed to deter this. Many expensive items are place behind the counter so they must be accessed with the assistance of a clerk. Others are located in cases that allow only one item to be removed at a time, or limit the access of the product to the individual. Such structures are designed to require two hands to remove a single item, and prevent an individual from taking more than one item at a time.
This has been used extensively with products such as razor blades, and the like, but there is no system that is particularly suitable for canned goods. One type of canned good particularly vulnerable to theft is infant formula. This is very expensive and a thief can easily grab multiple cans from a standard store shelf at one time.